Of Painted Poppies and Violets
by Shienhui
Summary: Dying in Naoya's arms and later waking up in JP's headquarters was certainly not what Rhei had expected. In this new world, there was no Yamanote lockdown; no COMPS and everyone she knew before had never existed. Keeping her loyalty to Naoya proved difficult when there's a certain chief who won't seem leave her alone. (Takes place after Naoya's Route and before the start of DS2)
1. Chapter 1

Hello dear readers! I'm currently doing a rewrite on this story and I'm making a lot of progress! Gomen for my really slow updates~! I hope you guys can bear with me a little longer. This story was previously rated T but now it's M, for a number of reasons. There will be some dark themes in the first few chapters and later as the story progresses, there would be some mild sexual situations.

I would post up warnings for each chapter just to be safe.

PS: And don't forget to review! Currently the main pairings for this story is Yamato/oc and Naoya/oc. If you have any other pairings that you would like to see in the future, review and let me know. Some people have also been asking me to do some lemons/smut in my stories.

Should I or should I not? Let me know please!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! I'll post the next few chapters soon! 3

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 _ **WARNINGS: Course language, slightly dark themes**_

"Speech"

 _Thoughts/Flashback_

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 **1**

Drops of cold water hit my face, rousing me awake. When light returned to my vision, I realised that I was in a dark, unfamiliar place.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and down my arms. It was damp here and a putrid scent lingered in the air. I smelled mould but there was also a cop

pery tinge to it. There was no mistaking it. It might just be the smell of blood or something that had died here as of recent. Allowing my gaze to wander around the dimly lit room; I realised that this place might just be an underground dungeon, judging from the stone walls and ground which were covered in green moss.

I blinked once, then twice.

 _Where was I?_

My wrists were tied behind my back and my ankles were shackled to the floor. The chains seemed pretty old, but I have nowhere near enough strength to break myself free. I was trapped in some sort of cell, which I could only assume belongs to the Shomonkai.

My face contorted in disgust when my bare feet brushed on some of the slippery and wet moss. I guess those assholes decided to remove my shoes along with my jeans for whatever reason, leaving me in my soaked t-shirt and undies.

I tried flexing my arms a little to ease the soreness on my wrists and ankles. However, the pain did not elevate. As I struggled within the restraints, I noticed that my thighs and arms were covered in bruises—angry red and purple blotches were everywhere.

"What the hell…." I gasped at the sight. These weren't here before. I must have gotten them while I was unconscious….. _those sick bastards._

Just as I was about to shift my body again, I heard whispers. I stilled.

"The girl that they brought here—she can't be a demon, can she? She looks so young…..She looks probably as old as my daughter….." A man said.

"Do not be deceived by appearances as demons could manipulate the human mind. She is extremely dangerous, remember that. I want you to be at guard at all time and make she does not escape before the ceremony." The woman's voice seemed familiar. However I couldn't pinpoint where I heard it from.

They spoke in low whispers for a few minutes before leaving. When their footsteps receded, I let out a soft sigh.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

 _Where are the others? Are they alright…?_

 _What if I'm alone here? What would they do to me?_

I didn't understand why the Shomonkai would want to kidnap me. Is it to stop Kazuya from becoming the king of Bel? Are they going to use me in their plans? Or are they just going to torture me for fun?

I shivered at the thought. None of it sounded any better. All I knew is that I had to get out of here quickly.

Struggling against the chains, I tried to break free. The rusted metal dug into my flesh as I pulled and tugged. However, my efforts were fruitless. Without my COMP, I was powerless—unable to fight, let alone defend myself.

I let out a frustrated scream as I trashed against the restraints.

"Let me go….!" I screamed, at the top of my lungs. Hopefully—just hopefully, someone would hear me.

As I thought, almost immediately a few Shomonkai men ran towards the cell.

"Silence, demon!" One of them shouted.

Eyes widening, I said, "I'm not a demon! There must be some sort of mistake….!"

"Such filthy lies…! You will not fool us! We've seen you with Cain! You're his loyal demon pet!"

 _Demon pet? That's what they are calling me now?_

 _But wait…..Cain?_

 _So this had something to do with…Naoya….?! But why?!_

"I'm telling the truth! I'm not lying…..!" My pleas become more desperate. "I'm really human."

"Shut up!"

"Agh…." They won't listen at all. Convincing them that I am human seems futile, when they are not actually listening.

 _Where is Naoya…?_

That thought suddenly popped up in my mind.

 _They couldn't possibly have captured him, right?_

Naoya and Kazuya are strong—much stronger than me. They couldn't have been captured.

 _Right?_

I was in a sea of doubt. No matter how much I try to reason myself—telling myself that they were both grown men, perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, I couldn't help but worry. If Kaido was here, he'd probably tease me for being such a worry wart.

"uh…"

With their hoods covering half their faces, I couldn't read their expressions.

"Why are you keeping me here? And where are the others?" I tried asking.

"Quiet…!"

"Not until you answer my questions! What do you want with me?! What did you do to Naoya and Kazuya…!?"

There were angry whispers between the men. But after a while, finally, one of them stepped forward to face me.

"We're going to use your body to act as a medium to bring forth our god to this world." He said, in a voice devoid of emotion.

"A medium? You're going to sacrifice me….?" I asked incredulously.

"Sacrifice is a much too generous word for a whore like you. We ought to torture and kill you."

 _A whore? They're calling me a demon and now a whore….?_

Gritting my teeth, I couldn't hold my temper back anymore. "What is wrong with you people…?! The only demons here are you people….! You're all insane!"

"You're the one who's—

I lost it.

I spat right on the man's face and immediately, he flew into a rage. He slammed at the iron bars of my cell, growling at me.

"H-hey stop this…!" Another man tried to hold him back, only to be brushed away.

"I'm going to kill this bitch—

" **Stop this. Let me speak to her."**

The man was cut off by the voice of a female. With a look of horror in his face, the stepped away from me and bowed to the woman repetitively.

"Lady Amane…! Please forgive me of my rudeness….!"

My gaze fell on a woman, who was probably younger than me. Unlike the rest of the Shomonkai, her robes was much different—it was an orange and white long-sleeved dress which stops just at her thighs. A beautiful flower adorned he hair, which somewhat resembled a purple lily.

Her gaze flickered towards me for a moment, then to the man.

Raising her hand, she ordered, "Leave us."

"Yes, my lady."

That's right. I met her before. If I remember correctly, her name is Amane Kurzuyu, the Shomonkai maiden, the woman who Naoya used to work with.

Once they were gone, she turned to face me. Her expression morphed to one of pity.

With a frown settled on her lips, she said, "I'm sorry that it had to be you. I'm really sorry. But we have no choice—we don't have any time left."

"You're going to sacrifice me to you so called _god_ …and you actually think that **that** would save the world? You're all insane."

Her eyes fluttered shut. She took in a deep breath and exhaled once before answering me. "The grace period given to us is at its end and we still lack the power to summon our god form the other world. We need a catalyst—a medium to aid in the summoning—that is you. You're the most suitable candidate for the ceremony and I have seen your strength. You're the strongest magic user I have ever seen and I'm confident that if anyone could contain our god's power, it'll be you…"

"You don't have to do this…! This isn't the only way! Kazuya is fighting his hardest to win the throne of Bel. Isn't that enough?!"

"Unfortunately, we cannot allow him to be king. The power of Bel belongs to one and only Belberith. We don't have a choice. This is the only way to overcome God's ordeal. Even with the strength he gathered from fighting the demons of Bel, he is still human. If he fails, all human race will die."

"You have to believe in Kazuya….I believe that he will succeed….."

"I'm afraid we can never support their cause. Abel—Kazuya, is being manipulated by an evil man. Once Abel becomes King of Bel, he will be consumed and corrupted by all the demonic power within him. He'll lose all his sense of humanity and become a demon—

"That's where you're wrong….! I believe in him! I believe in Kazuya….! Naoya will do everything in his power to prevent that from happening…!" I shouted at her. There was a fire in my heart now. "If I have to give up my life, it'll be for both Kazuya and Naoya….! That's how much I believe in them!"

Amane furrowed her brows. "How foolish… I'm sure you're aware of Cain's evil intentions. Why are you helping a man like him?"

"He's not as bad as you think he is. I've been with him long enough to know that he's changed…. _He's learned to love."_

" _What do you about love? This ordeal has been brought upon by you foolish humans. You have betrayed God's love and brought demons to this world. It is YOU humans, who contaminated the world. Not only that, you decided to follow a murderer!"_ A new voice boomed, replacing Amane's voice. It didn't take me long to figure out that a new entity was speaking to me.

Just then, Amane's eyes flashed golden. Everything happened all of a sudden. With a wave of her hand, flames engulfed the room, surrounding me. Black smoke began to fill the room, pouring into my lungs.

Amane stood a few feet away from me, a cruel look on her face. Without a doubt, she was possessed.

"…He loves me….I know he does. He took care of me when I was at my worst and helped me back on my feet again—he gave me a reason to live. For that, I want to be by his side, always…." I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

 _Am I going to die like this? Being burnt to death?_

"… _Naoya…..help me…."_


	2. Chapter 2

WARNINGS: References to YHVH (this might offend religious people—feel free to skip to chapter 3, because this chapter is mainly about OC's relationship with Naoya). This chapter was inspired by the song 'Don't Look At Me Like That' by Song Ji Eun, which I would suggest you try listening to when reading this. :) Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! Again, please review!

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 **2**

 _The next time I woke up was during the sacrificial ceremony._

" _Finally, this day has come…! How long I have longed for this day! Come forth, our god…!"_

 _I will never forget the excruciating pain that spread throughout my body. It felt as if I was thrown into a large pot of boiling water and then skinned alive. I was in agony and yet the pain wouldn't stop. All I could hear was the faint chanting from the Shomonkai._

 _Throughout the whole ritual, I was fading in and out of consciousness. The only reason that I was still alive despite the pain was because of Amane. Her constant healing prevented me from dying from my injuries._

 _However the healing did nothing to ease the pain._

 _Eventually, the summoning was completed and Belberith was called forth._

 _I was dying—I could tell. My whole body was weak and my breathing had become shallow gasps. With my vision blurry and everything spinning around me, I could bare tell what was going on. Surprisingly, Naoya and Kazuya made it just in time, after the summoning was completed. While Kazuya and the others fought the demon, Naoya rushed to my side._

" _Rhei…Rhei….! Can you hear me…?!" His voice was hoarse and strained. He knelt down next to my fallen form and wrapped his arms around me. His fingers brushed my cheeks lightly, trying to keep me awake. His featherlike touches would always make my heart flutter. He seemed always so cautious, as if I was nothing for than fragile porcelain doll. Though he rarely displayed his affection physically, I knew deep in his heart, he cared._

 _It never bothered me that he was actually Cain, a murderer because I knew that the man he was before wasn't the same man he is now. Over the years, he changed, but yet he was still being shunned by who he was._

 _ **He was cursed.**_

 _ **But that didn't keep me or Kazuya away from him.**_

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" _Stay with me, Rhei! I'll heal you, so please hang in there….!" His voice wavered as he grasped my shoulders.. He had his teeth gritting together and I could tell he was holding back from crying._

 _He let out a frustrated shout._

 _This wasn't like him at all. I've never seen him look so…._ _ **upset**_ _._

 _Slowly, I reached out to touch his face. He froze for a moment before he grasped my hand with his larger ones. Burying his face into my neck, he hugged me tighter._

" _Just when I've sorted my feelings out….this had to happen… I guess god never gives me a break," Naoya then gave a bitter laugh, which sounded almost resentful. "It's unfair, isn't it? To have things you cherish robbed away from you like this…What right does he have to toy with our lives like this? I'll never forgive HIM for this…Never…..!"_

 _I ran my fingers through his soft silver locks and then caressing his face…_

" _Naoya, I know it's a little late, but I want you to know that I'll always love you—_

 _I was cut off when he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine._

 _They moulded so perfectly…_

 _This wasn't the first time we kissed, but I knew it was going to be our_ _ **last**_ _._

 _While Kazuya fought off the demons with Kaido and Atsuro, Naoya stayed by my side until my last breath._

" _ **I'll see you again….I promise."**_ _Were his last whispers._


End file.
